This post is part of the Beltane ritual I led for my Pagan group last Sunday, but it is also a reflection on tides of energy and the practice of embodiment, and is applicable well beyond this particular Beltane season.
Tag: Self-Compassion
Sometimes the Yogurt Wins
As you can probably judge from my vastly decreased posting frequency, life has been a lot for the past few months. Riding the waves of the pandemic has left me exhausted, with very little bandwidth for things that aren’t absolutely essential in maintaining my physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual health. Here is a tale involving me, some yogurt, my cat, and some very broken laws of physics.
Self-Compassion Ritual – Pandemic Edition
Our modern society doesn’t teach us self-compassion. Quite the opposite. It teaches us self-criticism, shame, guilt, and blame. It tells us that we have to follow the rules, meet its unrealistic expectations, and practically achieve perfection before we are worthy of loving ourselves. This, quite frankly, is an utter load of crap.
No Words of Wisdom
I wish I had some profound words of wisdom to share with you today, in the wake of the chaos of this week. I don’t. Just this: Take care of yourself, take care of those you love, and do what you can.
Adaptive Spiritual Practice for Pagans: A Response to Challenging Times – Part Two
In my previous post, I discussed the need for us to adapt our spiritual practices to better address these challenging times. In this post, we will cover how to navigate changes in your practice, including examining your view of devotion and trying new things. Cultivating an adaptive spiritual practice needs to take place in the context of your life. This means that you have to leave space for the unexpected and acknowledge your need for rest.
Adaptive Spiritual Practice for Pagans: A Response to Challenging Times – Part One
I don’t know about you, but for me, pandemic fatigue has been kicking my butt the past few weeks. It’s hard to feel inspired when just getting through the day is difficult. I am an advocate for living, evolving, personal religion. I believe that spirituality should be applicable to modern life, and it should support us and nourish us. When our spiritual practices are no longer relevant to our circumstances, it is time for them to change.
Prayers to Aphrodite: For Perseverance
O Eternal Aphrodite Far Shining Golden Goddess Born of the sea and sky I call to you I invoke you, O Enduring Goddess, You who have seen civilizations rise and fall You who have tended the pain of the oppressed You who refuse shame and stigma You who defy the expectations of an unjust society… Continue reading Prayers to Aphrodite: For Perseverance
Devotions to Aphrodite: Self-Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic – Honoring Your Needs
So, the world is still a bonkers place. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s taking its toll, mentally and physically, on me and everyone I know. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about self-care and how we can honor our needs during this turbulent time.
Celebrating Beltane During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Beltane is my favorite holiday. Despite my love for all things related to this season, I found it very difficult to write the ritual that I performed online this morning for my Pagan group. It seems like an odd, almost inappropriate, time to be celebrating, given all that is going on the world. Our lives seem very far from the spirit of Beltane this year. Yet, this is why it is more important than ever to honor Beltane.
Self-Compassion Ritual Revisited
Self-compassion can be a challenge - particularly in a world where we are flooded with media constantly telling us that we aren't enough. We aren't beautiful or handsome enough. We aren't skilled enough. We aren't fit enough. We aren't rich enough. We aren't good enough to have a partner. Or we aren't a good enough partner for someone else. Let me tell you something. It's not a secret, though in our culture it is guarded like one - only spoken in hushed tones between the closest of friends. YOU ARE ENOUGH.
Priestess of Aphrodite 